ARI Policy Researcher Jamie Hitchen spoke to the BBC on why he thinks more could have been done to prevent the devastating floods in Freetown; pointing the finger in particular at the lack of political will to act.

This Briefing note describes an attempt by the city of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, to launch the first municipal bond in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) area, and considers the ramifications of the central government blocking the initiative.

Slums play a central role in Ghanaian politics. The way that they are really governed, how “hidden” informal networks interact with formal politics, and how citizens hold their leaders to account, are too often overlooked.

In September 2015 floods in Freetown killed seven people and rendered several thousand homeless. Jamie Hitchen explores the systematic failings of city management that exacerbate the problems caused by heavy rainfall.